HGV drivers urged to take action to stay safe this winter

Police Scotland and the road haulage industry are joining forces in a bid to help truck drivers stay safe this winter, especially when crossing high level and exposed roads and bridges.

Superintendent Fraser Candlish, from Police Scotland's Road Policing Unit, reports that last winter, 11 lorries were blown over during a three-week period between 26 January and 16 February.

“Although such instances are rare given there are more than 29,000 lorries on Scotland’s roads, when they do happen they pose a significant risk to lorry drivers as well as other road users,” comments Candlish.

This year’s initiative aims to educate HGV drivers to stay safe by following industry best practice and tying up side curtains when a truck is carrying no load, and by signing up for weather alerts to get advance notice of hazardous driving conditions.

“We are also encouraging operators and drivers in the road haulage industry to be prepared for bad weather, follow advice on social media and register for weather alerts from Traffic Scotland,” continues Candlish.

“Road Safety Scotland, Transport Scotland, The Road Haulage Association, The Freight Transport Association, the Driver and Vehicle Standards Association and Traffic Scotland are all supporting the initiative, and will urge their members and drivers to adopt the best practice."

Malcolm Group CEO Andrew Malcolm is among headline supports of the initiative.

“We operate 900 curtainsiders, which operate 24 hours a day throughout the UK, mostly on a just-in-time basis. With the weather being unpredictable, we have to ensure our drivers are trained to move these trailers safely and effectively.”